3 Navy Airmen Killed in Crash

Three naval aviators were killed Tuesday in the crash of an electronic warfare jet, the Navy reported.

The identities of the three victims were withheld pending notification of family members, said Dave Desilets, public affairs officer at the Naval Air Facility in El Centro. They were members of VAQ-129, a squadron based at Whidbey Island, Wash.

The plane and crew were flying a training mission out of El Centro when the crash occurred, Desilets said.

The EA-6B Prowler crashed about half a mile from the base about 2 p.m., Desilets said. There was an explosion on impact and a fire, but Desilets would not say whether the plane was taking off or landing. The cause is under investigation, he said.

The Prowler is a four-seat, electronic countermeasure aircraft powered by two jet engines, Desilets said. It is capable of operating off aircraft carriers.